This article will review the process of accepting/responding to a referral in Clarity HMIS.


Why Manage Referrals in Clarity

It is important to utilize the Clarity referral system for CAP referrals to:

  • Assist CAP/CE to track a history of referrals/placements for each client as the data is all located in one system.
  • Allow STEH to better track referral/placement aggregate data to evaluate the system and program performance.
  • Required to complete the new HUD mandated Coordinated Entry APR.

Receiving/Accepting Referrals in Clarity

User Access

There are two separate referral settings for users in Clarity. 

  1. The user access setting will allow users access to referrals in Clarity. 
  2. There is also a setting so certain Clarity users will be notified by email when a program referral is sent from CAP or CE.
  3. All users set up to receive referral messages will receive every referral to the referred program. 
  4. Users who receive referral emails can then forward the email or assign the case manager in the referrals settings.


Accessing a New Referral

Clarity will send a notification email and a message through the Clarity messaging system to any user assigned to receive program referrals. New referrals can be accessed from either of these notifications or from the referrals tab available on the search screen in Clarity.


OPTION 1:

  • Click on "this client" in the email/message to open the client's profile in Clarity. From the client profile, click on the History tab. Click on the edit icon viewable when you hover over the referral to view/edit the referral.
    (Note: this is useful if you have multiple agency access as it will show the specific program the referral is being sent to.)

Click on "this link" in the email/message to open the referral Clarity

(Note: if you are not currently logged into Clarity, the system will prompt you to log in.)


OPTION 2:

  • Click on the Referrals tab from the search screen in Clarity to see all pending referrals.

    • Click on the edit icon to view/edit the referral (hover mouse over client's name)

    • Click on the client's name to view the client record.


 


Managing Referrals


1. Review the referral.

Scroll through the referral, scroll down to the notes section to see any notes from the referring program (CAP or CE).


2. Assign a case manager.


3. Switch the status to "Pending - In Progress" while contacting the client, and determining eligibility.


4. Add notes. Communicate with the referring program (CAP or CE) by adding notes to the referral. 

Adding additional status notes (e.g. client unable to meet this week, rescheduling intake for next week) can also help supervisors and team members stay informed.




4. Accept the referral

For agencies that enter data directly into Clarity: Enroll the client into the program the client was referred to. Be sure the "Program placement a result of referral provided by STEH CAP/STEH Coordinated Access" is toggled on and enroll the client as usual (reference this article for details on enrolling clients into a program: https://steh.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/43000515577-program-enrollments). 



How to manually connect a referral to an active enrollment

For agencies who enter data into other systems (or if an enrollment was made without linking the referral) : 

  • Click the "Add Connection" button in the client's referral. Be sure to choose the 'Client Program' the client was enrolled in and 
  • Toggle on any 'Group Members' who were also enrolled in the program and click 'Add'. 

This connection will be made automatically for enrollments that are entered directly into Clarity; however, agencies who enter data into a different system, such as VESTA, must add the connection manually in the referral.



How to Change the Referral Status


Set the referral to "Pending- In Process" while contacting the client or determining eligibility. This is also one way the referring agency can confirm the referral is being processed.
Selecting "Deny" or "expire" a referral to close the referral without enrolling the client into the program. Manage this in the referral status settings. 


Referrals of YWCA Clients to other Agencies

Because the YWCA uses a separate / comparable database, when a referral of a YWCA client is received to a community agency, contact with YWCA must be made in order to share Client data. 

  1. Contact the YWCA staff member included in the match email with the clients unique ID provided.
  2. The YWCA assigned staff will provide the client's contact information and basic demographic information either via an encrypted email or other secure method.
  3. Search for the client profile in Clarity.
    1. If a matching client profile exists, enroll the client in the referred-to program.
    2. If there is no matching client profile, create a new profile and enroll the client in the referred-to program.


Referral Connections (bitfocus.com)

Contact Information

If you need help or wish to offer suggestions or feedback, please contact the Cincinnati/Hamilton County HMIS Support team at HMISsupport@end-homelessness.org or by calling 513-263-2790 between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday - Friday (excluding holidays).


When Contacting HMIS support about a particular client, please do not send personally identifiable information such as name, SSN, or VESTA Public ID. Use the Clarity Unique ID found on the Clarity client profile screen.